NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen has been diagnosed posthumously with CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).
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The Concussion & CTE Foundation announced the news on Tuesday with a press release. The organization said that Lorenzen's family is releasing the results of his post-mortem brain tissue analysis, which revealed that he had stage 3 (of 4) of CTE.
Lorenzen, who died on Dec. 18, 2024, is the first NASCAR driver to be officially diagnosed with the disease. This follows him living with dementia for two decades.
"Mr. Lorenzen had cortical-sparing CTE, which is the first identified subtype of the disease," said Dr. Thor Stein, director of molecular research at the Boston University CTE Center, in the press release.
"In about 10% of CTE cases, the disease is worse in areas of the brain controlling behavior and movement, leading to behavioral symptoms and Parkinson's-like movement disorders that start earlier in life."
BREAKING: NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen has been diagnosed posthumously with stage 3 CTE, the first known diagnosis in a driver.
We’re deeply grateful to his children for their $1 million gift to advance CTE research and establish the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine,… pic.twitter.com/QwyZ38uXKt
— Concussion & CTE Foundation (@ConcussionCTEfn) October 20, 2026
The family announced on Tuesday a $1 million donation to the Concussion & CTE Foundation to advance research and help drivers find care.
A result of this is the Fred Lorenzen Memorial HelpLine at the Concussion & CTE Foundation. This is a free service for current and former drivers, as well as their families. They can reach out for personalized service as they face "long-term symptoms of concussion, CTE, or related neurological disorders."
Lorenzen's family spoke to NASCAR leadership about the diagnosis in January. NASCAR declined the opportunity to join this initiative to help current and former drivers.
"My dad struggled for many years, long before he was diagnosed with dementia in his 60s," said Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom in a press release. "Watching him go through that, and experiencing the impact it had on me and our family was incredibly difficult and beyond heartbreaking.
"While he may be the first race car driver diagnosed with CTE, we know from outreach to other drivers that he isn't the only one suffering. I know there are so many more out there who need help. Our family wants to honor our dad's legacy by making sure other drivers and their families have help navigating this devastating disease and hopefully better answers in the future."
This announcement about Lorenzen marks the second example this year of a former driver being diagnosed with neurological issues.
On Sept. 23, Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip and his family announced that he would step away from public life after being diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) complicated by possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
